Of Nobles and Swordsmen
by Shadow Hylian
Summary: Following the illness of his father, Kafei Doutour takes over as Mayor of Clock Town. On his first day in office, a stranger comes to stay at the Stock Pot Inn. Eventual KishinXKafei


Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series is the property of Nintendo. I do not own anything.

Summary: Following the illness of his father, Kafei Doutour takes over as Mayor of Clock Town. On his first day in office, a stranger comes to stay at the Stock Pot Inn. Eventual KishinXKafei

Warning: Shounen ai (MxM pairing) Don't like it, then turn back now.

* * *

Of Nobles and Swordsmen

Chapter 1: A Strange Meeting

The office Kafei had visited many times since his childhood felt strange, suffocating and he sat ridgedly and uneasily at the finely carved desk he had so often seen his father sit at. The purple-haired noble had always dreamed that this room would someday be his once his father had retired, but this past week had thrown everything he knew into chaos.

Kafei held the name plaque in his hands and looked at the words engraved into the brass sadly.

_Mayor Doutour_

His father. Frail and at home with his mother.

It all happened so quickly. He had been working with Anju at the Stock Pot inn when the guardsmen from the Mayor's office had rushed through the door ashen-faced and told them that his father had collapsed at work. He detachedly remembered the way his wife had clapped her hands to her mouth in shock and the way his knees had seemed to give way, before they followed Viscen to the Town Chambers.

Mayor Doutour was recovering, but the stress of his position was too much for him and both his parents agreed it was time for their son to take over the role. Kafei refused blankly at first, knowing how much his parent's marriage had suffered from his father's town responsibilities. His mother had pestered him until he agreed.

Kafei stood up and paced the room agitatedly. The room he had known so well, that had practically been his childhood felt so foreign to him now. How could he concentrate on running the town while his father was ill? What did his parents hope to achieve from thrusting him into a senior political position in the town with him only barely knowing the day-to-day running of the town his father had managed since before he was born?

The responsibility of it all made Kafei's mouth go dry. He had always wanted this room to be his, but not like this...

Not at the cost of his father's health. Kafei gripped his hands on the edge of the fine desk.

It hurt. Kafei blinked rapidly, feeling a pain set into his temple. He sighed deeply, trying to compose himself and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling.

He couldn't stay here...

It would take time.

Kafei left the office, leaving Viscen's question of "Are you all right, Master Doutour?" unanswered as he exited the Mayor's Office building, striding quickly through the rain-soaked streets of Clock Town on his walk home.

Anju had been waiting patiently on his return, starting towards him as he stepped through the door

"Won't you eat something, dear?" Anju was worried, "You've hardly ate anything all day..."

"...I'm fine, Anju." Kafei sighed, "It's been a strange day, that's all. It's all happened so fast, I hardly know where to begin taking over from my father..."

Anju leaned over his back and hugged her husband tightly, her reassuring soft voice in his ear. "I know you'll do well darling. I know it's come as a bit of a shock for Mayor Doutour to take ill so suddenly, but you've watched you father work for years. We're all here to help you."

"...Thank you." her words felt hollow in his ears, but he forced a smile for his wife.

Later that evening, Kafei lay on his back staring blankly at the wooden beamed ceiling, unable to sleep. He didn't know where to begin taking over from his father. All the guards employed in Clock Town had known Kafei from since he was a child...how could he possibly command authority now to people who had seen him grow up from a broody and unlike-able kid?

* * *

Monday

As the clock tower struck 9am, the new Mayor Dotour sat down in his office. Kafei pulled at the neck of his shirt, fussing with the top button and regretted that he wouldn't be able to wear his favourite shirt any more. The new name plaque lay across the front of the desk, and the purple haired noble began to sort his way through the many letters the postman had brought.

_Bills, invitations to attend official mayoral events and some town __renovation projects waiting to be approved, nothing too challenging. _

Kafei set his quill to paper and began to sign off the documents, already feeling the boredom set in.

All morning..nothing happened.

Anju brought him his lunch, kissed him and perched on his desk for an hour in the afternoon, letting him know how his father was doing. It wasn't until half way through the afternoon until he was distracted from his paperwork.

"Mayor Doutour, we have a visitor. He seems to be a traveller." Viscen politely rapped at Kafei's office door.

"Ah, show him in please."

The purple haired noble straightened the items on his desk and sorted his appearance before he realised the stranger had stepped in to the room.

Clanked was more like it, Kafei thought.

The man was clad head to toe in battle armour and the hilt of a broadsword glinted at his shoulder. Kafei paled. The man towered at over six feet in height, but the most unsettling aspect of the stranger's appearance was his blank white eyes.

"Um... please take a seat." it was the only thing that came to Kafei's mind and he watched the Goliath of a man awkwardly clank as he shuffled his weight from one foot to the other and then attempt to fit into the seat facing his desk. Kafei was inwardly thankful that Viscen had decided to act as his bodyguard and stand by the doorway, protecting him in case the man suddenly lunged.

"I am sorry for the disruption, I'm afraid I've become quite lost." the man was surprisingly well spoken. "I am passing through Termina and hoping to find some suitable accommodation for a few weeks. This place, there's something so unusual about the town... I can't seem to find my way at all, I'm afraid I might have took a wrong turn on my way to Holodrum..."

Kafei was hesitant, he wasn't keen to invite this man anywhere near the Inn, not when his wife would make his life a misery with her timid nature until the soldier left.

"Ah, I am afraid that is quite the predicament.." Kafei blinked, speaking blankly and aware that Viscen was looked at him.

"The Stock Pot, sir." Viscen spoke, "Would you have a spare room there for our guest?"

Viscen wqas going to regret speaking up, Kafei thought.

"Ah, I believe I can help you." Kafei started.

_ Anju hated having soldiers stay at the Inn._

"I own the Stock Pot Inn with my wife, we have rooms available if you require somewhere to stay."

_ She wasn't going to be happy at all._

"They're only small rooms, but..." Kafei was already regretting having mentioned it.

"That would be suitable, thank you." the man pulled something akin to a smile and reached around his belt for a heavy money bag. " I can pay you and you wife well for your kindness."

"Thank you, ah.. I can show you to the Inn just now if that is suitable?"

"That would be most appreciated."

"Ah, um.." Kafei hit his knee against his desk as he hurried to the door, holding it open for the man to walk through and leading the stranger through the town to the Stock Pot, feeling very conscious of the man's strength as he heard the heavy footsteps follow his lead.

"I must say, this looks like quite the bustling little town. " the stranger spoke as he was shown towards the reception desk where Kafei could already see the look on his wife's face. He was going to have to do some explaining to her...

"Yes, we are quite lucky to have such a colourful town. The carnival is only a few weeks away, so the townspeople are preparing their stalls for the festivities. People travel from miles to see the event."

"W-welcome to the Stock Pot Inn." Anju spoke nervously. "Can I assist you?"

The stranger looked towards the purple haired noble. Kafei could feel him staring.

"Anju, this is.." He trailed off realising he hadn't asked the man's name.

"Kishin Onigami. I am looking for a room for the next quarter moon and I believe you have vacancies?" it was strange that the man spoke so politely...

"Yes.. I can place you in room 5 for the two weeks." Anju quickly wrote up the reservation details and completed the transaction. There was an awkward pause in which the Dotours looked at each other, deciding who would lead this Kishin Onigami to his room. The man coughed impatiently and Anju flinched. Anju was really going to hate having the soldier staying at the Inn...

"..Sir, there's just one other thing." Anju stepped back from the counter, afraid that the man would lunge at her, "I'm afraid we do not allow our guests to keep weaponry in their rooms. My husband will take your sword and store it in the safe room, if that is acceptable?"

"Ofcourse, ma'am." The swordsman unclipped his broadsword and laid it on the counter, "May I be shown to my room now?"

"Ah..um follow me Sir." Kafei had no idea why he just bowed to this man, and led him to the first floor of the Inn.

Kafei held the door of the room open for the other man, "Is there anything you need? I will bring a flagon of water for you and then leave you to settle in."

"Thank you for your assistance, you've been helpful Mr Dotour."

Kafei hoped the next two weeks would pass quickly.


End file.
